Daily Topic for August 30, 2011
After a riot erupts in Ephesus, the city clerk had to calm things down. What had Paul done? He was not preaching against their goddess, but instead he was preaching the glory of Jesus to the Ephesians. It was clear to the Gentiles who embraced Christ that He offered something far better than the false goddess they had worshipped in the past. Though Paul was not preaching against Diana, the Ephesians knew that to choose Jesus was to neglect their golden idols.
Pray that in today’s India, Hindus will likewise chose to put away lesser things when they hear of the Living God of Heaven.
The Apostle Paul’s preaching in Ephesus produced fear and jealousy among the silversmiths and shrine-makers who saw their livelihoods threatened when citizens threw away their silver idols to follow Jesus. God has given mankind a spiritual hunger to know Him and to be connected, and when that true connection between God and man is not made through the person of Jesus Christ, man’s tendency is to substitute idols to fill that void. For this reason the Sonar, or goldsmith caste, has been prosperous even during bad economic times and changing political climates for centuries. There are millions of Hindu deities, and Sonar goldsmiths are kept busy fashioning their likenesses. When the Paul preached Jesus in Ephesus, the silversmiths felt threatened and attacked Paul. Surely the Sonar goldsmiths would also feel threatened if Christ invades their realm.
Their importance goes way beyond the fashioning of idols. Sonar goldsmiths hold an essential role in traditional Hindu weddings. Dowries are given in the form of gold jewelry, and the bride literally wears her worldly possessions as products made by the Sonars. Even if a Sonar is not present at a wedding, their presence is felt by everyone who sees the bride decked out in his beautiful golden artwork.Learn more at joshuaproject.net
Pray for the Sonar Bania people to learn the truth about Jesus as declared in this worship song: “Lord, you are more precious than silver; Lord, you are more costly than gold; Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares to You.”